Ruby Bridges was just six years old when she stepped inside an all-white school in the Jim Crow South — and changed history
Ruby Bridges was just six years old when she stepped inside an all-white school in the Jim Crow South — and changed history. Despite being harassed by an angry mob every day, the first grader was able to successfully complete the school year — thanks to the one white teacher who was willing to educate her and the four federal marshals who ensured she made it in and out of the school safely. And 60 years later, Bridges is still fighting for racial equality in America as an educator and activist. On November 14, 1960, Ruby Bridges integrated an all-white elementary school in New Orleans — and became a civil rights icon. Ruby Bridges was just six years old when she made history in 1960. As the first Black student to attend the all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Bridges stepped right into the forefront of the civil rights movement. But sadly, the school was far from welcoming. On her first day of the first grade, Bridges was greeted by a racist mob who threate...